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Climate change is possibly the most significant environmental challenge and possess serious threats to sustainable development in the world and more so in developing countries. Impact of climate change affects ecosystems, water resources, food and health. To adapt to the change and overcome the threats of climate change several climate-resilient agro-technologies have been introduced under the National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) Project. The present study was conducted in Lakhimpur District of Assam to measure the extent of adoption of the climate-resilient agro-technologies introduced under the NICRA Project by the participant and non-participant farmers. A total of 160 farmers, 80 NICRA participant farmers and 80 non-participant farmers were interviewed. Findings revealed that the majority of the participant farmers (68.75 per cent) had a medium extent of adoption followed by 17.50 per cent with a low extent of adoption of climate-resilient agro-technologies. Only 13.75 per cent of the participant farmers were found to have a high level of adoption of climate-resilient agro-technologies. Among the non-participant farmers, majority of them (75.00 per cent) had a low extent of adoption followed by 17.50 per cent with a medium extent of adoption of climate-resilient agro-technologies. Only a very small proportion of them (7.50 per cent) had a high extent of adoption of climate-resilient agro-technologies.

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The study was conducted in Sonitpur and Biswanath districts of Assam with 100 Small Tea Growers to identify the factors influencing the extent of technological gap in adoption of scientific practices of tea cultivation by small tea growers. An analysis of the small tea production system is the quite important to the subject of development of the small tea growers as well as improving the productivity tea on small holdings. It was found that majority of the respondents (71.00%) had medium overall technological gap in adoption of scientific practices of tea cultivation followed by 17.00 per cent respondents with low overall technological gap. The findings also revealed that practice wise maximum average technological gap was found in adoption of Doses of YTD mixture (70.90%) followed by Size of planting pit and Number of ploughing and harrowing with average technological gap scores being 61.71% and 57.21% respectively. The findings of correlation analysis revealed that variables viz. area under tea, management orientation, risk bearing ability, decision making ability, scientific orientation, exposure to training, knowledge level on scientific practices of tea cultivation, family type, economic motivation and working capital availability for tea cultivation had negative and significant relationship with extent of technological gap. So, there is a need for extension agencies and other concerned departments to positively manipulate these crucial factors in order to bridge the technological gap in adoption of scientific practices of tea cultivation by the small tea growers. The variables which were significantly correlated with the extent of technological gap in scientific practices of tea cultivation were further considered for multiple regression where the value of R 2 (0.5466) indicated that 10 independent variables could explain 54.66% of the variation in the extent of technological gap in adoption of scientific practices of tea cultivation by the small tea growers.

Most farmers are not aware of the various aspects of organic farming of vegetables despite the fact that the state of Assam is “naturally organic by default”. Besides having tremendous potential to grow crops organically, organic farming is yet to taste success in the state of Assam. Information is currently seen by many as the main limiting factor to growth in the organic sector in the state. Hence, there is need to equip the farmers with the necessary information related to the organic cultivation and certification process with respect to important vegetable crops The study was undertaken in North Bank Plains Zone and Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam, primarily to understand farmers’ information needs in relation to organic vegetable production. The study also identified the factors influencing the information needs and constraints as perceived by the farmers in meeting their information needs. A multi-stage, purposive cum proportionate random sampling design was adopted for the study in order to select 120 respondents. The study revealed that majority of the respondents (95.83%) expressed that they need information on inspection and certification process on organic vegetable production, followed by the need for information on soil treatment for organic vegetable production, and on the variety/planting material suitable for organic vegetable production. Findings of correlation analysis indicated that among the 10 independent variables, 6 variables showed significant and positive relationship and 4 variables showed significant and negative relationship with the information needs of farmers in relation to organic vegetable production at 0.01 level of probability. Findings revealed that “lack of knowledge about inspection and certification process of organic vegetable production” was the major constraint faced by the respondents with the highest score (PCI-296) and hence was ranked 1st followed by “Lack of knowledge about market linkages’ (PCI-280) and ‘Lack of access to credit facilities’ (PCI-278) which were ranked 2nd and 3rd important constraints faced by them in meeting their information needs. It implies that NGOs, KVKs, various development workers and extension agencies should put more efforts to modify and channel the information needs of organic vegetable farmers in the desirable direction through their preferred medium.